Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-02-24
The 18th Virginia Infantry.

am here tonight in response TO your in
yitation, to read before you my account OF
the fights of the 18th at Flat Creek and Dru-
RVS Bluff. To my comrades of the 18th all
that brings up the record of the regiment
must be interesting, even though the sub
iect be handled by novice like myself. To
the comrades of other commands who have
honored me- by their presence, I hope they
will bear with me if add some stories that
only 18th man can wholly appreciate.
Without farther preface, then | will give
some memories of the old war days, fraught
as they are with the humor and pathos OF
soldiers life Passing over many minor
events, will take up my theme after the
organization of the regiment at Manassas.
You will all recollect the squad, company
and battalion drills, guard mountings, du-
ties of sentries, countersigns, and all tnat
pertained to the school of the soldier with
which we went through and were gradually
shaped up for the grand work before US.
Two incidents of sentry duty may not be
amiss lust here. Do you see that sentry as
he walks his post, the air ofimportance that
beams from face and figure, the military
swagger as if the fate of armies depended
upon his vigilance ? The Corporal has just
placed him upon outpost duty and for the
first time whispered to him the countersign.
And now he PAGES his post, with the air of a
veteran, for awhile visions of deeds of daring,
rapid promotion, the plaudts of his compan-
ions. and last but not least, the bright
smiles of the "girl he left behind him." fill
his imagination. The night grows dark, the
stiffness is being felt. nervous tremor
steals over him and ne starts at the slightest
sound. Can his senses deceive him? that
must be footsteps in the distance. Nearer
and nearer they come the tension now is
great: can it be the stealthy tread of the foe?
Halt Who goes there? No answer; the
enemy ia upon him. Halt and give the
countersign, or I'll fire; bang and rs the re-
port dies away an old sow, with boo, boo,
boo, scampers through the brushwood, near
" upsetting the Corporal and the guard as
they rush to his relief. A roar of laughter
follows and our sentry's visions of glory fade
away before the chatting of his comrades.
On another occasion an old COW drew the
fire of night picket and when found I'M
touched, seemed, with her mild eyes, to re
proach the boys for the racket they had
kicked up about her.
Can't you remember the martial strains
of the old First regiment band and the way
we envied our more fortunate comrades, the
commanding form and martial figure Of the
drum major, who, some OF the boys from
the rural districts, mistook for the COM
mander in chief of the army.
| A band we must have, and it was nonsense
| to suppose soldier could fight without
having his blood stirred by martial ~; 80
! And so on, ;oi>--o.7ot aunys"--| .ilmsell
~. :. popular clamor, had detail from tn
companies made of mer supposed to be 81
IL ted with suppressed musical genius. Wei
IT these fellows blew and snorted through the
. old brass horns until the sounds were lik
IL the groans and walls ofthe Inferno. A bur:
of sound from them one day rather startled
u O visitor; with some emotion he exclaimed
g "What is thal2" the Either replied with cor
9 scious air Of pride, THAT'S our 6dnd." You
e what, excuse me''. did not come too 500
IL for there was ire and fight in the 18th man
9 eye. The band had turned three tunes, bu
could not round corner with either, an
J, we were to have them out on dress parade
The momentous hour arrived and the boy
: were on the qui vive, two to one being be
! by some that their wind would not hold GU
the two lengths Of the battalion. We'll, thel
started, but the music was so excrucatinj
and the men became so convulsed wit
{. laughter as almost to break up the parade
The Colonel ordered them back to the rank
q with the hope they would be shot in th
first fight they got into. After the bant
came six foot cross eyed countrymen az
. fifer. and his little son as drummer Their
V was no pomp and circumstance Of gloriou
: war about them. The boy was SO short thu
q his coat tail swept the ground in his rear, a
the drum did in front. They appeared q
t one dress parade which so taxed the disclp
line Of the regiment that they were dis
charged without another trial. They gave
the boys the grns as they swept up ant
! shrieking wildly Billy in the Low Grounds,
and the juvenile drummer to keep pace
with his long-legged dad, missing the drum
every other lick. SIS it music We would be
getting out of the likes of him, wild his blow
ing one way and looking another" said one
of our Irish boys So the old regiments
only music was the Emusic in the air" from
, the hum of the minnie, the shreking o
shells, and the songs of the boys on the
march.
Black burn's Ford FIRST brought before US
the realities of war; There we looked first
upon the dead and wounded of both armies
and the first impressions were very solemn,
but not lasting. This was but foretaste oil
the narrowing scenes which SO soon
were to deaden the sensibiitieS OF
even the gentlest among US. Can you
recall our hospitals at Manassas the
utter Indebtedness and discomfort of
them, the sights of suffering botn from sick
ness and wounds, men in all stnges OF dis
ease, the pale faces that turned in mute ap-
peal for help and sympathy, and the despair
that would steal over their countenances,
upon which the shadow Of death was slowly
passing, as no answering glance met their
closing eyes, This was before our noble
women, 10 answer to an impulse begotten of
the times, lent their aid and made Of what
seemed a veritable hell on earth an entrance,
we may hope, of the portals of the blest.
None but God alone can know the deeds OF
mercy our brave women performed and the
sacrifices of every comfort made by them;
but the fruits are with him.
You will all recollect the state Of the
roads in the spring of 1S62-mud, rain and
all manner funpleasantness-ths condition
| of the command as we neared Richmond,
h inf IN ouI q |.